The Dancing Bees
by Emeranne
Summary: Daniel and Betty take a business trip. Things don't go as planned. Chapter 3 now up. The old adage 'The best laid plans of mice and men' fits our duo to a tee!
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Dancing Bees

Author: Emeranne

This is a tale in which Betty and Daniel must deal with werewolves, leaky roofs and one wandering hand.

A/N: This is my first attempt an Ugly Betty story. Feedback is appreciated!

**The Dancing Bees**

**Chapter One**

Betty remembered once seeing a nature special on dancing bees. When they caught a scent they liked, the bees would swarm, each flying in seemingly random patterns. They would careen into each other, and then spiral off into another direction. From the human view, it looked like a very bizarre dance.

That's what the office reminded her of when she arrived on Monday morning. Everyone was moving about, buzzing with what she assumed was excitement. There were too many smiles on the normally severe and dour faces to be anything else. Of course, it could have been collective gas, Betty laughed to herself.

She watched in amazement as Amanda and Marc circled each other, speaking excitedly before the thin blond careened off towards Tifanee, one of the other assistants. There they both hopped from foot to foot, gesturing wildly.

Marc, while not hopping, was whooping and giving a very awkward high five to the startled UPS delivery man. He gave Betty a huge grin when he spotted her. She stepped back in fear.

"Betty! My darling fashion victim!" Marc crooned as he swung towards her. He took in her off the rack green suit. "This is a _wonderful_ day. Even that…ensemble…can't dim my spirits. Not today!"

Betty just looked at him in confusion.

"Wow, Betty, you're looking a lot like the Jolly Green Giant, only shorter," Amanda cooed as she linked arms with Marc.

Betty ignored the jibe. "What in the world is going on here? Did someone spike the coffee again?"

Marc trilled out a laugh. "You're too funny! But, no." He shared a look with Amanda and they gave Betty a big smile. "This is only the most important day in Mode history!" Marc squealed as Amanda danced a little jig.

Their excitement was contagious and Betty couldn't help but feel a thrill of expectation. "Really? Why? What's going on? "

"Two words," Amanda chirped. "Arnost Gustav!" she and Marc said in unison.

There was a beat of silence. "Who?" Betty asked.

The pair gave her looks of disgust. It was times like this that Betty wished she were working for any other magazine, even _Automotive Today_. With so much going on in the world and her life, she just couldn't care that the new Jimmy Choos had a wedge rather than a kitten heel.

"Betty, Betty," Marc sighed. "Where have you been all these years? No, don't answer that. I'm sure I don't want to know. Arnost Gustav is a Very Important Designer."

Betty smiled inwardly. As shallow as Marc was, he amused her, especially when he spoke in capital letters.

"If he's so important then why haven't I heard of him?"

Marc and Amanda gasped in shock.

"Seriously," Betty continued. "I may not be a fashionista like the two of you, but I've heard all of all the big designers – Calvin Klein, Armani, Lauren." She shrugged. "You get my drift."

"We should give her a break," Amanda said a little too sweetly. "It was before her time after all."

Marc cleared his throat and straightened his tie as if he were a teacher who was about to give a lecture. Which was true, Betty supposed. She could already feel the condescension.

"Arnost Gustav was _THE_ designer of his day. He practically revolutionized the entire industry. His designs were divine."

Amanda nodded enthusiastically. "They were amazing," she said dreamily. "As a little girl, I dreamed of wearing his fall collection of '91."

"So did I," Marc sighed.

Betty grinned at their reactions. "So what happened to him?"

Amanda got that look on her face, the maliciously gleeful one she wore when there was juicy gossip. She leaned in close, her voice a near whisper. "He completely lost it! He was supposed to show his fall collection, but he abruptly pulled out. He said he was fed up with the industry and how plastic it was."

"Imagine that," Betty said wryly.

They gave her a look, wondering if she was making fun of them. Betty sighed. "What happened next?"

"That's just it. Nothing happened," Marc told her. "He completely disappeared and became a recluse. Just like Greta Garbo!"

"I vant to be alone," Amanda said in a very bad accent.

"Ooh," Betty exclaimed. "Just like J.D. Salinger!"

"Who?" Marc and Amanda asked in unison.

"Just someone who also wanted to be left alone," she told them. "So why all the fuss now?"

"He's back!" They both shouted.

"Wow." Betty could finally understand some of their excitement. If J.D. Salinger came out of hiding, she knew she'd be excited. "Why's he coming back now?"

Marc shrugged. "No one knows, and who cares. But ooh, ooh, we forgot to tell you the best part! Get ready for this: He is allowing Mode to print the first look at his new collection!" Marc and Amanda started squealing again and jumping around in their odd bee dance.

She looked around her and now she could see it in all the faces around her. Pure jubilation, some of it from seeing the designer's new collection, but she imagined a lot of it was from knowing they had a huge coup over other fashion magazines.

"Betty!"

The buzzing quieted as the Daniel, the queen bee stepped into the room. Um, make that king bee, Betty thought with a cringe. Daniel would kill her if he ever got an inkling she'd just referred to him as a queen bee, even if it had only been in her mind.

She looked apologetically at Marc and Amanda. "Sorry guys, gotta go." She hurried towards Daniel's office.

Betty could see the satisfaction and excitement on his face. It was a good look for him, she thought. It made him look younger and less jaded.

"I suppose the Terrible Two told you what was going on?"

Betty smiled. One night, after a particularly aggravating day, while she and Daniel were working late, Betty couldn't hold her rant in any longer. She told him that Marc and Amanda were like children going through their terrible twos. Daniel had laughed so hard, and, eventually, so had Betty. That was one of the first nights when they had started bonding as friends.

Ever since, whenever Daniel was in a jovial mood, he would refer to them as the Terrible Two. It gave Betty a warm and fuzzy feeling to know that she and Daniel had an inside joke.

"Yeah, they told me. They compared him to Greta Garbo and Amanda did an appalling impression."

Daniel chuckled. "I'm almost sorry I missed that."

"Be glad that you did miss it!" Betty laughed. "How did this all happen? That seemed to be the one part they didn't know."

Daniel's eyes sparkled. "He called me. Me! Out of the blue and said he wanted Mode to show his new collection."

"That's great!" Betty told him earnestly. She knew how much things like this meant to Daniel. Beleaguered on all sides, with his judgment constantly in question, moments like this bolstered his confidence and his credibility. Every victory for him was also a victory for her since it always felt like it was the two of them against everyone else. They were the two misfits, although no one would ever call Daniel that to his face.

"Where is it? Do we have the copies yet?"

"No, that's just it. He won't come to Mode, and he won't mail them, so we'll have to go pick them up."

"We?" Betty asked. "As in you and me?"

"Pack your bags, Betty. We're taking a trip," Daniel said happily. "I don't trust anyone else to do this."

A trip, Betty mused. She was a girl from Queens who'd never been anywhere outside of New York and New Jersey. Now she was going to see a world famous designer. She wondered where a designer like Arnost Gustav lived. Maybe Paris or London. Or maybe Italy. She'd always wanted to go to Italy. She would need to get a passport and a new suitcase. She started drawing up a mental list of all the things she would need. Daniel was still talking in the background when one word caught her attention.

"What did you just say?" She asked him.

He gave her a quizzical look. "I said we're going to Schenectady."

_Schenectady?_

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Dancing Bees

Author: This is my first attempt an Ugly Betty story. Feedback is appreciated and cherished!

**The Dancing Bees**

**Chapter Two**

"Schenectady, you say?" Hilda was standing in the kitchen cutting peppers for their dinner while Betty was sitting at the table peeling potatoes.

When Betty had first learned where they were going, she'd been disappointed. She was hoping for something a little more exciting. But her natural optimism soon asserted itself. She was going on her very first business trip! She felt like a real professional.

"I hear Schenectady is very WASPy."

"And how would you know?" Betty asked defensively. She didn't want Hilda's attitude to ruin this moment for her. "You've never been there."

"I don't need to have been there to know it's no good." Hilda scooped the peppers into a bowl and turned to face Betty. "Do you remember Louisa?" At Betty's shake of her head, Hilda sighed in disappointment. "You should pay more attention to what's going on here rather than living in your head like you always do. Everything lately is Mode this, Daniel that." She gave Betty a considering look. "You're not falling for him, are you? Because there is no way that could end well."

The mouthful of water Betty had just taken spewed across the table. "What!?" she sputtered. "I am NOT interested in Daniel." She grabbed a cloth and scrubbed furiously at the spilled water. "He's my boss. Of course I'm going to talk about him. It doesn't mean I have any feelings for him."

"Is that so? Then why is your face red"

Damn her sensitive complexion, Betty thought. "My face is red because the idea is preposterous! Besides, I have Walter."

"And don't forget about him. He's a good guy, except for that bit with Gina Gambrelli."

How could she ever forget about Walter? He was always underfoot. Only a few months ago, she'd been happy with that, knowing she had someone who was so devoted to her. She didn't let on to the others, but 'that bit with Gina Gambrelli' had devastated her. She'd felt like someone had shredded her insides. It had been hard to breathe, to sleep, even to cry.

Betty knew Walter regretted what he had done, but it was hard to look at him sometimes without remembering all the pain she'd suffered at his actions.

Perhaps if she were still the person she was, before her job with Mode, she might have been able to get over it. But Mode had helped her heal. It smoothed over the abrasions he'd left.

It also showed her there was life outside of Queens.

She chuckled to herself. Hilda and her father would accuse her of blasphemy if they'd heard that. But there it was. She was different now. She loved the person she was becoming. And Walter reminded her of who she used to be.

"Yoo hoo. Betty. You in there?" Hilda asked archly.

Betty's face flushed. "Sorry. So what about this Louisa?"

Hilda cocked her eyebrow at Betty's obvious bid to change the subject. "Fine," she muttered. "This isn't over though. You and I are going to have a little talk." She sat at the table. "Now about Louisa…" she excitedly, ready to share some juicy gossip.

Betty let out a relieved breath. This was always the way it was between the two of them. They fought and then they moved on. She had no doubt that Hilda would try to speak to her about Daniel. Betty didn't know where she got that idea. She didn't have those sorts of feelings for him. Really. It was just that he made her feel important, and smart, and like she had a lot to contribute. It was a heady feeling.

"Louisa was the one who used to work at Mr. Pinelli's bakery until Mrs. Pinelli discovered he was paying a little too much attention to Louisa."

"I remember her!" Betty exclaimed. "Wasn't she the one who was always wearing the super short skirts?"

Hilda nodded. "She was always into showing her stuff."

"Didn't she get married or something?" Betty asked.

"Yeah. After she got fired from the bakery she took up with Roberto Cartejas, who was a no good loser of the worst kind. He lost his job with the city and his cousin got him a job in a mill in Schenectady. So he and Louisa moved up there. She lasted all of six months before she dumped his sorry ass and moved back to Queens."

"What was so wrong with it? I looked it up on the computer and it seemed nice enough," Betty told her.

"She went to the local deli and asked for some tamales and they had no idea how to make them! Imagine that. And they'd never heard of horchada!" Hilda shook her head in disgust "And it didn't help that Roberto was two timing her with some tart from the mill."

Betty figured the problem was less with the city and more with Roberto. But she wouldn't dare say that to Hilda.

Hilda grabbed a bottle of soda from the refrigerator and poured them both a glass. She handed one to Betty and sat at the table again. "So tell me where you're going."

Betty perked up. "We're actually going to a town called Corner's Grove which is about an hour outside of Schenectady."

"Where are you staying?" Hilda asked, taking a sip of soda.

"I got us rooms at the Corner's Grove Inn, a very cute, turn of the century bed and breakfast," Betty practically gushed.

Hilda frowned. "A bed and breakfast for a business meeting? Isn't that a little…intimate?"

Betty screwed up her face. "Geez Hilda. We're not sharing a room and besides, it was the closest hotel I could find."

Hilda gave her a doubtful frown. "I don't know, Betty. Look, I know you think you're all cosmopolitan working in the city, but people like Daniel are bad news. He'll use you and break your heart."

Betty blew out an exasperated breath. "Give me a little credit, Hilda. I'm not a kid and Daniel's not the big bad wolf. Besides, even if I were interested in him, which I'm not, he would never see me that way. He likes tall, thin, beautiful women, and I'm none of those things."

"Don't you dare sell yourself short, Betty," Hilda said vehemently. "You are a beautiful woman, and even better, you're beautiful on the inside. Bet none of those fancy models can say that."

Betty gave her a watery smile and took Hilda's hand in hers. "I don't tell you enough, but you're a great sister."

"You too, Betty. You're one in a million." Hilda wiped her eyes. "Enough of this sentimental stuff. We've got a dinner to finish."

"Right," Betty said as they both rose from the table.

"So, who's this designer you're going to see?" Hilda asked.

"Arnost Gustav."

"Arnost Gustav!" Justin yelled as he burst into the room. "You're going to see THE Arnost Gustav? Please tell me this isn't some horrible joke!"

Betty smiled and ruffled his hair. "No joke. I'm going tomorrow to see him. You've heard of him?"

"Who hasn't?" Justin replied incredulously as he smoothed his hair. "He's only one of the best and most famous designers. He completely revolutionized fashion! His fall collection of '91 was inspired."

Hilda snorted. "You weren't even born in 1991."

Justin sniffed disapprovingly at her. "Good fashion is timeless." He turned to Betty. "I have a copy of the Mode issue where he showed his last collection." He gave her puppy dog eyes. "Could you have Arnost sign it for me? Please? Pretty please?"

Betty laughed at his antics. "Sure. Bring it to me and I'll put it in my suitcase." She stopped him as he was racing out of the room. "How did you get a copy that came out before you were born?"

Justin sighed dramatically. "On Ebay of course. Where else?"

Where else indeed.

Coming up…Betty and Daniel begin their journey.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: First, thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I greatly appreciate them. Second, my apologies for not posting sooner. Winter weather and spotty electricity have played havoc with my writing. I hope you enjoy! Things are starting to happen now…

Chapter 3

"Oh. My. God."

Amanda sighed and put down the cashew torte she was about to eat. Marc did have the worst timing sometimes. She'd snatched the torte earlier when no one was looking and was waiting for a private moment to savor it.

"Look what just came through the door."

She followed his pointing finger. "It's Betty, fluorescent as ever. So what?" She was really hoping he'd leave. The torte was much more fascinating than a game of What Monstrosity Was Betty Wearing Today.

"No," Marc said, exasperated. "Look at what she has with her."

There was Betty, walking into the office, pulling something behind her. Something large, bulky, and…pea green? Paired with her bright blue knit skirt and vest over a polka dot blouse, it was enough to spoil her appetite. "Ugh." She tossed the torte into the garbage. "Thanks, Marc," she said sarcastically.

"Consider it my good deed for the day. You really don't need anything more to eat," he said, pointedly looking at her hips. "You know," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I think I saw one of those things on the Sopranos once. There was a dead body in it."

"You don't think…?"

"Only one way to find out," he said over his shoulder as he bounced over to Betty. "Well, well, look what the cat regurgitated," he exclaimed cheerfully.

Betty sighed and forced a smile. There was no way she was going to let him get to her. Not today. Not when she was so excited. "Good morning to you too, Marc."

"So, what is that…thing?" he asked gesturing to the object she was pulling.

She looked at him like he was crazy. "It's a suitcase. You've never seen one before?"

He leaned in and asked conspiratorially. "Does it have a dead body in it?"

"A what?"

"Come on, Betty. You can tell me. We're practically acquaintances!"

"No, there's not a dead body in there. If you must know," she said proudly. "Daniel and I are going to meet Arnost Gustav."

"Are you planning on killing him and stuffing him in there?"

She looked at him askance. "Are you okay? You seem to be fixated on dead bodies today." Her eyes lit up. "A guilty conscience perhaps?" she asked perkily.

"As if," he scoffed. "It would take a lot more to make me to feel guilty!"

"Whatever," she said, dismissing him. "I've got a ton to do before we leave." She picked up the handle and walked through the office, oblivious to the curious stares she was receiving from the others. She knocked on Daniel's window and he waved her in.

"I'm just finalizing some stuff," Daniel told her while rifling through the papers on his desk. "Do you have everything we – " he looked up and paused. "What the hell is that thing?" he asked pointing to her suitcase.

She blew out her breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it with everyone and my suitcase?"

Daniel shrugged. "It's just so big and…hard." Betty raised her brow while Daniel blushed, in a most charming way, she thought. He cleared his throat. "We're only going away for a night, not a month."

Betty looked at the offending item. Granted, it was old and made of hard plastic rather than the nylon ones everyone used these days. But it was the only one she owned. "Look," she told Daniel, her tone defensive. "My family doesn't travel a lot. Or at all, actually. It was either this one or the Hello Kitty case I had as a child. I figured this was the best choice."

Daniel held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay," he said placatingly. "No more comments about the suitcase." Changing the subject, he asked, "Are you about ready to leave?"

Betty smiled. This was it, her first business trip. She was truly a professional now. She pulled out a slip of paper from her purse. "I've checked the train schedules and we can take the train from Penn station to Schenectady and then we'll switch to one that will take us to Corner's Grove. If we take the 10:00 train, we'll be there by three at the latest."

Daniel shook his head. "We're not taking the train. We're driving."

"Driving, but why? It will be a lot easier on the train. I checked and it takes about the same amount of time."

"If we take the train, I'm going to get stuck next to a crying baby or an old woman who smells bad." Before Betty could respond, he grinned boyishly. "Besides, I have this really great car and I rarely get to take her out of the city."

She couldn't resist him when he smiled like that so she decided not to point out the errors in his argument.

"Only thing," Daniel added with a grin. "I'm not sure that suitcase will fit in the trunk."

She laughed and hit him on the shoulder. "It would serve you right if it doesn't."

* * *

Betty didn't know a thing about cars, but she had to admit it was beautiful. 

"It's an Aston Martin," Daniel told her proudly.

"A who?"

Daniel shook his head in disgust. "It's the type of car that James Bond drives."

"Oh! Neat. Does it have any of those fancy gadgets? You know, like rockets and stuff."

"For the price I paid, it should, but sadly it doesn't," he said as he ran a hand lovingly along the black exterior. "It's hand made, you know. Like Rolls Royces. Only a few are made each year."

"Wow." Yes, the car was beautiful, but Betty couldn't understand someone spending so much money on something like this. The amount he paid would probably feed an entire family for a year.

It was times like this when Betty remembered how different she and Daniel were. So often it felt like they were kindred spirits as they were both misfits in this new world of theirs. They depended on each other, needed each other. They were a team.

But then something like this would remind her that they were from very different worlds. So different that she couldn't imagine them ever closing that gap.

"Jesus, Betty." His worlds snapped her to attention. "What?" she asked.

"I was joking earlier, but I'm not really sure your suitcase will fit."

"Ha ha."

* * *

It should have been easy. Take the car, drive to Schenectady, meet with Arnost Gustav. It should have been easy, but of course it wasn't, Betty thought as she tripped on another rock. 

"You okay?" Daniel reached out to grab her, but withdrew his hand when she glared at him.

"No, Daniel. I'm not okay. I'm tired and my feet hurt and we're lost. There is nothing good about this!"

Daniel muttered another apology, but Betty was at the end of her rope and was in no mood to be charitable.

Betty had started the day in such an ebullient mood but it had soon turned sour. Because they were driving, Daniel had decided they should leave later in the day so they could get some work done.

No problem, Betty had thought. They still had plenty of time. By the time they'd left, it had been early afternoon. She calculated that they'd be there by seven or eight at the latest. What she hadn't counted on was Daniel.

She'd printed out a map and directions, but Daniel had taken one look and had dismissed them.

"We're not taking the interstate," he'd told her.

"But it's the easiest way," she'd responded.

He'd given her a rakish grin. "Maybe the easiest, but definitely not the funnest. I never get to stretch her legs," he'd said referring to his car. "And I can't do that on the highway. This baby was made for the back roads."

"Funnest isn't even a word," she'd muttered as she'd rolled her eyes before reluctantly agreeing to his plan. Now she wished she'd insisted.

Betty had to admit, the first part of the trip was a blast. She'd relaxed into the supple leather seats and watched the world fly by as Daniel raced across the open roads. He was a good driver, but she'd expected no less. Daniel was a born seducer. It made no difference if it was a car or a woman. He knew exactly how to handle them. And that scared her. It was one of the reasons she was determined not to fall prey to his charms.

They'd reached Schenectady shortly after eight in the evening. By her calculations, it was only another thirty miles to Corner's Grove. That's when everything went wrong.

They were halfway there when the engine started making a strange noise. It was another few miles before the engine died completely. They'd both sat there in shock until Daniel had started cursing. Betty had wisely resisted mentioning that if they'd been driving a normal car, this probably wouldn't have happened.

Daniel had seemed to be working himself into a fit when Betty had decided to step in. "All we have to do is call AAA and they'll tow the car for us," she'd told him reasonably. No need to panic, she thought. Yes, they were stuck on a dark, deserted back road in the middle of nowhere. But this was the 21st century and they both had cell phones. No need to worry.

"Dammit!" Daniel exclaimed, banging his fist on the steering wheel.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not getting any cell service out here. Try yours."

She pulled hers out and tried to make a call. All she got was a recorded message telling her she was out of range. She wasn't even in roaming mode. She stared at the useless phone in her hand. They were truly stuck. At night. In the dark. With nothing but scary trees surrounding them.

A howl sounded in the distance.

It was definitely time to panic.


	4. Chapter 4

Very long author's note: First, my apologies for the long delay. I give everyone permission to whip me with a wet noodle! Okay, not seriously, but you get my drift. 

If you're just joining this story, or don't want to re-read it, here's a quick recap:

A reclusive designer came out of hiding and has told that Mode could present his collection. The office went into a tizzy over this. Betty likened them to dancing bees. Much to the chagrin of Amanda, Marc and Justin, Daniel chose Betty to go with him to Schnectady. Everyone mocked her suitcase. For those who are old enough, it's one of those Samsonites that the gorilla used to try to destroy. Betty ignored them as usual. When they were ready to leave, Betty wanted the train, but he insisted on his car, because, you know, boys and their toys. Turns out they should have listened to Betty, because his male enhancement car didn't get them very far. Now, they're stuck on a dark, deserted road…

**Chapter 4**

Daniel truly liked Betty. Yes, they'd gotten off to a rocky start, but he was mature enough to admit that had been his fault. When he thought back to those first days when Betty came into his life, he was ashamed of how he'd acted. He knew now it was based on fear. His therapist had likened his behavior to that of a wild animal protecting his turf.

Dr. Raille had told him that when animals were confronted with a member of the pack that was different from the others, the pack usually either killed or banished the offending member. That was especially true, he'd said, when there was a new leader. It was the leader's attempt to gain domination and to win the respect of the other pack members.

Daniel understood the metaphor. He'd been thrust into a position of filling his brother's shoes, winning the respect of his employees and showing his father that he wasn't a failure, so when Betty had showed up in her polyester clothes and blue braces, he'd panicked. He knew that before Mode he'd rarely taken anything seriously, that he'd floated by on his family's name and money, but he'd never been cruel. Until Betty.

But in what he now knew as true Betty fashion, she'd won him over. While at times he found her unbridled enthusiasm and over the top optimism grating, it was also a refreshing change from the blasé ennui that the people around him seemed to suffer from.

She was always cheerful. Always looking for the bright side of every situation.

"No, no, I'm Daniel Mead and I'm too good for the train." Daniel cringed at Betty's mutterings. She'd been doing this for the last hour since they'd left the car.

It had all been going well too. When they'd set out, the city had been experiencing one of those rare days when the sun was shining, the air was crisp but not cold, birds were chirping, bees were buzzing and every other pastoral thing he could think of. In short, it had been perfect driving weather.

Betty, despite her insistence they take the train, was soon won over. He had been shamelessly turning on his charm. He hadn't been sure it would work on Betty, but he figured she was still a female, and no woman could resist Daniel Mead when he put his mind to it.

After they'd cleared the city, he'd put the top down and had smiled as Betty laughed while the wind whipped around them. He hadn't felt this carefree since before his brother had died.

He'd relished the feel as they sped along, the car humming beneath them. They easily flew over hills and around curves, both of them smiling all the time.

It had been perfect.

Perfect until he'd heard the first thump. There had been a slight hitch in the engine. Thinking maybe he'd overextended the car, he'd downshifted. Relief had gone through him as the noise disappeared. But his relief was shortlived when the thump turned into a shriek.

Betty had shot him a worried look. "What's wrong?" she shouted over the wind.

He'd shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing. Just a glitch." He'd gritted his teeth as Betty rolled her eyes at him. He couldn't be certain, but he could have sworn he heard her say something about American cars.

_C'mon, c'mon_, he'd pleaded with the car. _Don't fail me now_. Obviously the car hadn't been listening as it made one last hiccup before slowly rolling to a stop.

Daniel and Betty had sat there in stunned silence. The only noises were those of the birds and bees he'd found so charming earlier. Now their noises sounded mocking, as if they were laughing at him.

"Fuck!" he'd shouted as he slammed his fist on the steering wheel. He'd taken perverse pleasure in seeing Betty jump at his profanity so he'd thrown in a shit for good measure.

Betty had given him a tentative smile. "I'm sure it's not anything major. Maybe something's loose, or something like that. All you need to do is tighten it and we'll be in Corner's Grove within the hour."

This had been one of those times when he'd found her optimism annoying. "I hate to break it to you, Betty, but I don't know anything about cars. I just know how to drive them."

She'd shot him an incredulous look. "But you're a guy. Guys are supposed to know all about cars!"

He'd sat up straighter in the car as he'd said imperiously, "I'm not a guy. I'm a Mead and we have people to deal with these sorts of things."

She'd crossed her arms. "Where are these people then? Obviously not here." She'd sighed. "Fine then. Pop the hood. I'll take a look at it."

He'd smothered his laugh when she glared at him. "As you wish," he'd told her as he'd pulled the lever to open the hood.

Betty had huffed as she got out of the car and moved to the front of the car. She'd tugged on the hood, and while it jiggled, it didn't open.

Daniel had thought to watch her as she tried to figure out the hood as it was the only amusement he was getting out of the situation, but as he'd watched her, he knew she was only trying to find a way to fix their situation. His annoyance had melted away. With his own sigh, he'd gotten out of the car.

"You need to pull the latch. I do know that much at least." He'd nudged her aside as he opened the hood. They'd stood looking at the engine for a few minutes.

"It's an engine." she'd said with her usual cheer.

He'd given her a wry smile. "Yes, it's an engine." Surprised at her equanimity over the situation, he'd nudged her. "Hey, I thought all people from Queens knew about cars."

She'd laughed. "Nah, we know all about salami. It's the Bronx people who know about cars."

Daniel had been suddenly glad that it was Betty who was with him. He could only imagine the reaction of someone like Amanda.

"You know, you're very lucky I'm here instead of Amanda. She'd be throwing a hissy fit right about now."

He'd choked out a laugh. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

She'd given him a brilliant smile. "Like minds, you know."

The situation had been bad, but he'd felt buoyed by Betty's optimism. When she smiled at him like that, Daniel felt like he could conquer the world. He found the feeling heady, and had often tried to find ways to make her smile. He also thought that she could sense when he was stressed or moody because she would give him one of those smiles for no reason. He liked her all the more for those moments.

"So what do we do now?" she'd asked him. The look of trust she was giving him made him want to be able wave a magic wand and make the problem go away. Instead he'd gingerly reached into the engine and had given several of the cables a tug, hoping that would that she was right and it was loose wire or something.

"Let's try it again. Maybe it will work this time." They'd both gotten back in the car. With a look of anticipation between the two, Daniel had slid the key into the ignition. He turned it. Nothing. The car hadn't even sputtered. It was truly dead.

In a gesture of defeat, Daniel had pounded his head on the wheel.

"Ooh, ooh!" Betty had said, bouncing in her seat. "All we have to do is call AAA and they'll tow the car for us!"

Daniel had given the wheel one last hit with his head. He'd felt like and idiot not thinking of that sooner. There were times when he wondered why his father had given him the job at Mode when he couldn't even think of using his cell phone to get out of a bad situation.

He'd pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. A little message had blinked at him. _Out of Service Area. "_Dammit!" He'd banged his fist on the steering wheel in frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not getting any service. Try yours."

While he'd waited for her to get her phone out, Daniel had taken a good look around. Dusk was settling quickly. The sky was clear and he could see a few stars in the distance. What had been a beautiful day looked to be turning into a gorgeous night, if only not for their predicament.

He would have also enjoyed the scenery if they had been still flying by with the wind whipping through their hair, a strong car beneath them. Now it just seemed ominous. They were in the middle of nowhere. The rural road was surrounded by trees on all sides. They'd passed some farmland earlier, but he couldn't remember seeing any houses – only fields.

"Nothing, nada, zip," Betty had said with disgust as she'd thrust her phone back in her purse.

Daniel had leaned back in defeat. "Okay. So let's think this through. How far are we from Corner's Grove?"

"About fifteen miles."

"Damn." He'd suddenly brightened. "Then we must be pretty close to Schenectady, a couple of miles at most."

Betty had shaken her head. "If we'd taken the interstate, that'd be true, but because we took the back roads -" she'd paused and had given him a pointed look – "we're approaching from the other way."

"Still, we're near two cities. I'm sure we'll find a house or a gas station just up the road."

"Do you really think so?" Betty'd asked hopefully. "We haven't passed anything in what seems like forever."

"I'm certain. Especially since we haven't passed anything. That puts the odds in our favor. Think about it – a person can't drive _that_ far in New York without running into something." He'd given her his most assuring smile. He could see Betty visibly relaxing.

It had made him feel good to be the one with the solution. So often it was the other way around. He was cognizant of how time after time Betty had saved his skin and he was thankful, but there were times when he wanted to be the true hero of the moment. He wanted to be the one who swooped in at the last minute and solved all their problems.

* * *

That had been an hour and god knew how many miles ago. They'd set out soon after their discussion but not before a brief argument about what to bring with them. Betty had insisted on bringing their luggage with them, but Daniel had put his foot down.

"No offense, Betty, but that suitcase of yours is an ungainly relic and it will just slow us down. Besides," he'd told her, "we'll come across a house or something soon and they can drive us back. No need to lug our stuff with us."

Betty had argued, but in the end, Daniel had won. It had been a short lived victory though because here they were, having walked so far with no civilization in sight.

They'd been cheerful at first, Betty talking about how exciting an adventure this was. Her optimism had kept them both up them both for the first half hour, but they drifted into silence as time passed and they hadn't seen a car, a house, or anything.

That's when she had started mumbling. Everything she said centered around him and trains and how stupid men could be. Having been with enough women, he knew better than to defend himself when a woman started talking like that. Nothing good could come of it.

She'd finally worn herself out and was trudging along in silence. He could feel the waves of antipathy radiating off of Betty. He watched as she stumbled over a rock and automatically reached out for her. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"No, Daniel. I'm not okay. I'm tired and my feet hurt and we're lost. There is nothing good about this!"

He'd rarely seen Betty mad, and now he was glad for it. He'd always wondered if there was the famous Latin temper under her smiles and laughs. She stopped and faced him completely; he found himself edging away.

"Daniel Mead! Look at these shoes." He followed her gaze and winced when he saw her heels. He hadn't considered that before he'd suggested they walk. "These shoes are not made for walking long distances. You try wearing these shoes and then tell me if you're ok after an hour of walking on a rough road!"

As much as he was startled by her outburst, he had to admit that anger looked good on her. Her hair had slipped out of its knot and was wild around her face. She had tugged the buttons open at the neck. It all made her look less severe. He wondered if that's what she looked like after sex.

His eyes widened and he stumbled back. _Where the hell had that thought come from?_

Betty's ire disappeared as she watched his face go pale. "What's wrong? Did you hear something?" She looked around wildly, still remembering the distant howl they'd heard earlier.

Daniel shook his head. "No, I'm okay." _I think_. How could he tell her that he'd just thought of her and sex in the same sentence. She'd be as freaked as he was. He and Betty weren't that way.

Yes, he liked her. But he'd never wanted anything more. She was his support, his assistant. She was his friend.

"Did I ever tell you how glad I was that you quit MYW and came back to me – I mean back to Mode?"

Her eyes softened. "How could I work for someone who treated you so badly?"

He smiled at her. "Thanks."

Her equilibrium and good humor restored, she punched him in the arm. "You owe me big time for this one."

He held up his hands in surrender. "When we get back, I will treat you to the finest pedicure money can buy."

"You'd better!"

* * *

Night had fallen. The only illumination came from the stars and the gibbous moon that hung over them. It had also grown colder since the sun had set. The trees around them cast strange shadows on the road. Betty shivered.

Daniel looked over at her. "Kinda weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "My family never went camping. My dad hated to leave Queens. The only place we ever went to was the Jersey shore."

"My family never went camping either."

Betty snorted. "Now that I'd like to see."

Daniel grew solemn. "My brother loved camping."

"He did?" Betty asked softly.

"He was fearless." He paused and swiped his face with his hand. "Sometimes I wonder…"

When he didn't speak, Betty put her hand on his arm. "Sometimes you wonder what?"

"I wonder why he was the one to die. It should have been me," he choked out. "He was always worth more than I was."

"Oh, Daniel." Betty grabbed his hand in hers. "I didn't know your brother, but I do know you, and I wouldn't trade you for anything. Do you think he would have given me the chance you gave me?" she asked him earnestly. "You know he wouldn't have. He would have dismissed me right away."

"But I dismissed you."

She gave him a crooked smile. "True, but you saw reason."

Daniel squeezed her hand. "Thank god I did."

They stood there, eyes locked, both acutely aware of how close they were standing. Daniel had the insane thought that if he leaned forward a little, his lips would touch hers. He suddenly wondered how they'd feel beneath his.

Betty's eyes widened as she felt Daniel move closer to her. _He's going to kiss me. Daniel Mead is about to kiss me, Betty Suarez._ She was frozen, not sure if she should move. She could hear Hilda's voice in her head, warning her. But there was another part of her that really, really wanted for him to not stop.


End file.
